Commissioning

Strategic Commissioning  

We are an independent charity working to reduce gambling harms, and the strategic commissioner of gambling harm prevention and treatment across Great Britain. By understanding and assessing the needs of the population and engaging with stakeholders, as well as people with lived experience, we determine priorities, allocate resources and develop commissioning outcomes.  

Focused on better outcomes we: 

• Procure a range of evidence-informed, high-quality services based on the needs of population 
• Generate robust and independent evidence through our research, evaluation and monitoring functions  
• Use robust governance processes or procurement, monitoring and evaluation 
• Provide service users with the choice on when and how they access support  
• Establish pilot and proof of concept services to prove what works best for people  
• Deliver regular reports, public accountability and robust evaluation 

How to apply for funding 

Through an outcomes-focused systematic commissioning process, we define, prioritise and plan a range of interventions against specific outcomes. We will then consider the most appropriate route to market to enable delivery including contracting services, awarding grants, partnerships and co-production.  

It is our responsibility to make the best use of our resources and funding. In almost all cases, competition will be used as a mechanism to do this.   

We do not consider ad-hoc funding requests. We welcome potential applicants to look on our website and social media channels for advertised opportunities of funding. The outcome of competitive processes will be published on our website.   

If you wish to receive notification of tenders and funding rounds, please email us at info@gambleaware.org and request to be added to our procurement mailing list.  

Non-competition 

From 1 April 2023, where an organisation has been awarded funding without competition (e.g. because they play a unique role in the system) this will be published on our website, along with the rationale.  

Procurement and Route to Market

We deliver activity through a range of routes to market. Find out more about our live funding rounds and tender opportunities. 

Regulatory Settlement Funding 

The Gambling Commission has allocated regulatory settlement funding to us in accordance with their Statement of Principles for determining financial penalties.  

We are uniquely placed to ensure the regulatory settlement funds are effectively distributed to reduce ham across England, Scotland and Wales. In keeping with the Gambling Commission’s Statement of Principles, funding from regulatory settlements to GambleAware will be used for specific, agreed purposes that accelerate our commissioning plans, including the reduction of inequalities, building capacity and understanding of harms and raising awareness of the issue. 

Regulatory Settlement Fund: Existing and upcoming opportunities

This section will be regularly updated with information on existing and upcoming commissioning activities supported by this Regulatory Settlement funding. Funding opportunities include:

1. System Stabilisation Fund - August & November 2023
2. Regulatory Settlement Funded Research - December 2023
3. Supporting System Innovations - December 2023
4. Mobilising Local Systems/Demonstrator Sites - November/December 2023 & 2024 (date TBC)

Please find more information on each opportunity below: 

1. System Stabilisation Fund 

The System Stabilisation Fund is aimed at stabilising the system of gambling harm prevention, support, and treatment during the transition period from a voluntary to a statutory levy system. The fund is for organisations who have been impacted by the release of the white paper on gambling reform. This includes organisations whose funding has been disrupted, as well as organisations who are looking to proactively move away from industry funding.  

Following on the first funding window for the System Stabilisation Fund, launched in August 2023, a second funding window will open in November 2023. Applicants will be notified of the outcome in mid-December 2023. 

If you have questions about the fund, please email commissioning@gambleaware.org.

Please be aware that this funding is not intended to replace the voluntary donations funding model. Funding will only be for the 2023/24 financial year up until 31 March 2024 as a short-term measure. 

Criteria 

The following are the key criteria for this fund. In the application forms linked below, you will be asked to tick to confirm your eligibility:   

* In relation to industry funding, it should be noted that:  

• Organisations will not be precluded from this fund due to applying for, or accepting, industry funding. However, the System Stabilisation Fund must not be used for projects that are part-funded by direct industry donations.  
• Where organisations are in receipt of direct funding from the industry, GambleAware will need to be fully reassured that there is clear separation through robust governance practices ensuring differentiation between GambleAware-funded projects and industry-funded projects.   
• Organisational overheads will also need to be differentiated. For example, if GambleAware contributes to 50% of an organisation’s project delivery cost, the contribution to overheads should also be at this level.   

Priorities  

Funding applications will be prioritised in line with our Strategic Framework. Organisations will need to demonstrate they meet one or more of the five outcomes:  

• Increase the awareness and understanding of the risks of gambling and its harm across the general population.   
• Prevent gambling harm amongst individuals and communities at greater risk of experiencing it.  
• Prevent the escalation of gambling harm.  
• Ensure individuals and communities receive a broad range of appropriate services.  
• Reduce the legacy of gambling harm. 

In addition, all applications will be reviewed to consider the following:  

• Evidence of need  
• Delivery model and approach 
• Potential outcomes and impact 
• Value for money 
• Sustainability 

Funding and timescales  

There will be two funding windows. Indicative timescales are outlined below: 

Please note, the funding budget will be split between the two funding windows to ensure that there is no unfair advantage given to those who apply during the first funding window.  

Applications received outside the two funding windows will not be considered.

The timeline has been designed to allow us to rapidly respond to the emerging context. If any organisations are facing a more urgent need for funds, please discuss this with us (by emailing commissioning@gambleaware.org) and we may be able to offer support for needs of up to £100,000.  

2. Regulatory Settlement Funded Research  

We will release funding on a rolling basis for a number of research opportunities. We anticipate the first call for proposals will be released by December 2023 of this financial year, and that research opportunities will include, for example: Scoping Studies, Open Calls for Proposals and Primary Research Programmes. 

3. Supporting System Innovations

We will use part of the regulatory settlement funding to support system innovation. Our intention is to invest in organisations and activities that serve communities who experience inequalities, and therefore increased burdens of harm. 

The first round of funding will focus on proposals for innovative solutions to address the needs of women and also people from religious and ethnic minority communities. This work builds on two pieces of research that we have previously published:

• Building knowledge of women's lived experience of gambling harms across Great Britain
• Minority communities & gambling harms: Quantitative report

We are intending to open the call for proposals by December 2023. 

4. Mobilising Local Systems/Demonstrator Sites

One of our strategic priorities is to transform capacity and capability by collaborating with the NHS, public health agencies, local authorities, and voluntary sector organisations across England, Scotland, and Wales to support growth of an integrated system of prevention provision. 

To support this strategic priority, in 2022 we established a new programme called Mobilising Local Systems (MLS). The overall aim of this programme is to develop an integrated system: ensuring that, at a local and national level, statutory organisations are able to deliver preventative interventions, support early identification, holistic support and treatment as well as ensuring people are able to live in communities that support their ongoing recovery. 

As part of this programme, we’re proposing a two-phased Demonstrator Sites project. In the first phase, we will look to engage with partnerships of voluntary and statutory organisations working at a system level. Starting from November-December 2023, funding will be offered to these partnerships to help them develop their relationships and establish an integrated response to gambling harm. Following this, in 2024, we are going to work with systems to create a 'What Works Guide' to act as a toolkit for statutory organisations not currently engaged with the gambling harms space.